The Politics of Policy Analysis

✍ Scribed by Paul Cairney

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 174
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book focuses on two key ways to improve the literature surrounding policy analysis. Firstly, it explores the implications of new developments in policy process research, on the role of psychology in communication and the multi-centric nature of policymaking. This is particularly important since policy analysts engage with policymakers who operate in an environment over which they have limited understanding and even less control. Secondly, it incorporates insights from studies of power, co-production, feminism, and decolonisation, to redraw the boundaries of policy-relevant knowledge. These insights help raise new questions and change expectations about the role and impact of policy analysis.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface: Combining Insights on Policymaking and Policy Analysis
References
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Boxes
Part I: State of the Art Policy Analysis Texts
Chapter 1: Introduction: New Policy Analysis for the Real World
Introduction
Structure of the Book
References
Chapter 2: What Is the Classic Five-Step Model of How to Do Policy Analysis?
Introduction
Most Policy Analysis Is Client-Oriented
Problem Definition Has a Technical Element, But Is Always About Power and Politics
Policy Instruments Can Be Technically Feasible But Politically Infeasible (or Vice Versa)
Use Political Goals and Value Judgements to Compare Alternatives
Some Values and Methods Seem to Dominate Policy Analysis
Be Efficient and Pragmatic When Gathering Evidence
Communicate Clearly and Concisely
A ‘General Method of Communicating in a Policy Process’
Communicate Risk and Uncertainty in a Responsible and Ethical Way
How to Communicate Evidence Responsibly
What Is Missing from These Policy Analysis ‘How to’ Guides?
References
Chapter 3: What Has Changed, and Why Do We Need New Policy Analysis?
Introduction
Story 1: The Old Ways of Making Policy Were Centralised, Exclusive, and Focused on Problem-Solving
Story 2: Modern Policy Analysis Is More Open and Politicised, and the Focus Is Less Certain
Comparative Studies of Policy Analysis Tell the Same Story
Policy Analysis as a Collection of Styles, Not One Analytical Approach
Implications for Policy Analysis and Professional Development: Radin’s Skills Checklist
The Inextricable Link Between the Analysis of and for Policy
References
Chapter 4: What Insights from Policy Process Research Do Policy Analysts Need to Know?
Introduction
Incorporate Policymaker Psychology into Policy Analysis
Incorporate Policy Context and Complexity
From Concepts to Theories: Key Approaches Relevant to Policy Analysis
Narrative Policy Framework
Social Construction and Policy Design
Multiple Streams Analysis
Complex Systems Theory and Punctuated Equilibrium Theory
Advocacy Coalition Framework
Institutional Analysis and Development Framework
What Are the Implications of These Extra Considerations?
References
Chapter 5: What Insights from Wider Studies of Power, Knowledge, Politics, and Policy Do Policy Analysts Need to Consider?
Introduction
The Policy Paradox
From Stories to Manipulation
The ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ Approach
Policy Analysis as Colonisation
Decolonising Policy-Relevant Research
The Limits to Truly Co-produced Policy Analysis (in the Absence of Radical Change)
Can We Describe Policy Analysis Processes as ‘Co-production’ if There Is Such an Imbalance of Power and Incongruence of Ideas Between Participants?
Are Such Forms of Policy Analysis a Deliberate Substitute for Changes to Political Practices?
Does the Production of a Common Agreement Simply Hide Inequalities of Power?
Power Is Inherent in the Description of Good Knowledge
Policy Analysis for Marginalised Groups
Revisiting the Pragmatic Client-Oriented Policy Analyst
References
Chapter 6: How Have How to Do Policy Analysis Texts Incorporated These Insights So Far?
Introduction
Flexible Communication
Ethical and Normative Responses
Still, Policy Analysis Texts Remain Attached to Five-Step Guides
References
Part II: Challenging Themes in Policy Analysis
Chapter 7: Comparing What You Need as a Policy Analyst with Policymaking Reality
Introduction
Does Policymaking Actually Proceed Through a Series of Stages?
If the Policy Cycle Does Not Exist, Why Does the Image Persist?
What Do You Need to Define a Policy Problem, and What Types of Solutions Are Available?
Defining Problems: Clients and Environments
Producing Solutions as Part of a Policy Mix
References
Chapter 8: Who Should Be Involved in the Process of Policy Analysis?
Introduction
A Story of ‘Evidence-Based Policymaking’
A Story of Co-production in Policymaking
Comparing Stories of Good Policymaking
References
Chapter 9: What Is Your Role as a Policy Analyst?
Introduction
Policy Analysis Archetypes: Pragmatic and Client-Oriented Versus Critical and Decolonising?
References
Chapter 10: How to Be a Policy Entrepreneur
Introduction
Policy Studies Qualify the Role of Entrepreneurship
Most Entrepreneurs Fail
Even if Entrepreneurs Succeed, the Explanation Comes More from Their Environments than Their Individual Skills
Inequalities of Power Cause Inequalities in Successful Entrepreneurship
References
Chapter 11: Policy Analysis as Systems Thinking
Introduction
Ten Stories of Complex Systems
How Can We Clarify Systems Thinking and Use It Effectively in Policy Analysis?
References
Chapter 12: How Much Impact Can You Expect from Your Analysis?
Introduction
How Far Would You Go to Secure Impact from Your Analysis?
The Ladder of Ethical Engagement
Step 1: Change Levels of Attention to Issues, Not Minds
Step 2: Engage Only with Actors Who Share Your Beliefs
Step 3: Exercise Power to Limit Debate and Dominate Policymaker Attention
Step 4. Frame Evidence to Be Consistent with Objectionable Beliefs
References
Chapter 13: Conclusion: Combining Insights on Policy Analysis
Introduction
What Do Policy Analysts Need to Learn About Policymaking?
What Do Policy Analysts Need to Learn About the Politics of Knowledge?
A Summary of Five-Step Approaches
Reference
Annex: What Do We Want Public Policy Scholars to Learn?
Introduction
What Does a Combination of Skills Look like?
Encouraging ‘Intelligent Policymaking’
Choosing a Format: The Initial Advice
Choosing a Format: The Cautionary Advice
References
Index